indoctrinate
Force-feed ideology
To indoctrinate is to teach someone to accept a set of beliefs uncritically.
The word carries negative connotations—it suggests instruction designed to produce followers rather than thinkers: The cult indoctrinated new members through isolation and repetition.
Political movements, religious sects, and authoritarian regimes indoctrinate.
The noun is indoctrination.
Cause to believe
- influencePower to affect others
- swayRock back and forth
- inculcateImplant by persistent urging
- instillImpart gradually over time
proselytize · convert · win over · propagandize · evangelize · recruit · preach · advocate
Control through clever influence
- coerceObtain by intimidation
- conditionState or stipulation
- programPlanned sequence of actions
- reeducateInstill revised beliefs
radicalize · groom · reprogram · deprogram · thought control · mind control · cult · subjugate
Unchallengeable official beliefs
- creedStatement of belief
- ideologyStructured belief framework
- orthodoxyAdherence to accepted beliefs
- tenetHeld principle or doctrine
catechism · belief system · fundamentalism · sectarianism · canon · precept · teachings · articles of faith
Impart skills or knowledge
- trainRail vehicle or instruct
- instructConvey knowledge or orders
- schoolPlace of instruction
- drillHole-boring device
condition · socialize · acculturate · pedagogy · curriculum · rote learning · memorization · catechize
Preformed unfavorable opinion
- bigotryIntolerance toward differing views
- intoleranceUnwillingness to accept differences
- narrow-mindednessClosed thinking, limited perspective
- closed-mindedUnreceptive to new ideas
one-sided · partisan · slanted · skewed · groupthink · echo chamber · confirmation bias · uncritical
convince
Cause to believe
instill · proselytize · convert · win over · propagandize · evangelize · recruit · preach · advocate · campaign
manipulate
Control through clever influence
reeducate · radicalize · groom · reprogram · deprogram · thought control · mind control · cult · subjugate · captive
dogma
Unchallengeable official beliefs
tenet · catechism · belief system · fundamentalism · sectarianism · canon · precept · teachings · articles of faith · credo
teach
Impart skills or knowledge
drill · condition · socialize · acculturate · pedagogy · curriculum · rote learning · memorization · catechize · initiate
prejudice
Preformed unfavorable opinion
- bigotryIntolerance toward differing views
- intoleranceUnwillingness to accept differences
- narrow-mindednessClosed thinking, limited perspective
closed-minded · one-sided · partisan · slanted · skewed · groupthink · echo chamber · confirmation bias · uncritical · unquestioning
- educateteach, instruct, educate, tutor, school
- evangelismgospel outreach, evangelize, evangelist, born again, evangelizing
indoctrinateeducate
Provide formal instruction
enlighten · liberate · open minds · Socratic method · teach
indoctrinateneglect
Failure to provide care
leave alone · ignore · abandon · hands-off · laissez-faire
indoctrinatedeprogram
Undo psychological conditioning
unbrainwash · disabuse · deradicalize · enlighten · disillusion
- political indoctrinationImposed ideological belief training
- cult indoctrinationCoercive belief implantation
indoctrination, indoctrinated, indoctrinator, indoctrinating, indoctrinates, indoctrinators, indoctrinations